Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-30
KINGS SALOON.
I'm nvestigatBon by the Police Conn
utssI0ners.

Ihe Eoard OF POtlce tOHHlissiolieIr
met yesterday afternoon to investigate
the charge preferred against j Kings
saloon, No. 26 Also street, "that it is
a disorderly house and a resort OF
tramps and thieves" The charge
was preferred by Officer r. W. Fow-
ler. Mr.. King was represented by at
torneys singleterry and Orfila, who
applied for q continuance Of the inves-
tigation on the grounds that they had
not had sufficient time to procure wit
nesses. The Commissioners decided
to hear the complaints and also the
witnesses that King had there.
Officer Il. w. Fowler testified: Up
till December 11th l never paid any
particlar attention to this saloon. a
robbery was committed near there
and went to Kings saloon with Ofii-
Ger Harris to try and find out some
thing about it. There were great
many unprincipled characters there,
in fact the "scum of the earth" L
went back shortly after to arrest some
of them, but they had disappeared.
Since then have been down there
several times and always found the
roughs hanging about. / told the bar
keeper to tell the proprietor that if
they did not alter their tactics they
would lose their license.
Leon Escallin, the brother OF the
lady who owns the property, testified;
When j pass the saloon always see
% gang of thieves and hoodlums about,
and many complaints are brought to
me from the neighbors. / have COM
planned to the Chief of Police. There
is restaurant behind the SALOON, but
it is not run by King, although he
pays the rent of the whole building.
Officer Aubel testified: There is
always crowd of thieves, "bums,"
tramps, etc., hanging around the sa-
loon, and / have often arrested men
down there. l arrested eight men
there the other night and there was
not O nickel in the crowd when
searched at the Police Station. /
have also arrested men around there
for begging and petit larceny. From
my own knowledge / know this sa-
loon to be disreputable house.
Ex-Oficer Fitch testified: | know
Kings saloon to be the hardest house
il the city, and have often arrested
men there. Officer Lee and | went
in there to arrest two men for fight
ing, and Lee was knocked down. l
had to release my prisoner to go to
his rescue, but before | reached him
l had to knock two toughs down.
have often seen drunken men lying
around there.
Officer Harris testified: have OF
ten seen a great many hard charac-
ters around the saloon, and drunken
men drinking there very often. Men
have often been brought to the police
station from there and when searched
had no money. The saloon causes q
deal Of trouble to officers on that
beat
Officer Daniel Walsh testified: The
character OF the house is very bad IN
deed, and | have often helped to ar
rest men there when | was special
officer. One night We arrested eight
men and another night ten men, and
none OF them had cent. The saloon
gives more trouble than any other
house in town, and | think MIR. King
could keep more orderly house If he
tried. | have seen drunken men
drinking there. | have been on the
police force in London, England, for
several years, but | never knew q
worse place than Kings.
Officer w. q. Bowland testified
The character Of the house is very
bad, and it has rough characters ly-
ing around day and night. The prin-
cipal part of the men there
are tramps. There are also
number of Basques lying
round there, but it is mostly the
tramps that get drunk. l have no
personal feeling against Mr.. King.
Sergeant Loomis testified: The
saloon kept by Mr.. King is a tough
place. l have made several arrests
there. consider it my duty to testify
in this case, but have no animosity
towards King.
John King testified: | am the
proprietor OF the saloon and took it
when it was in u dilapidated condi-
ton, and have made respectable
place OF it. / entered the saloon in
the month of August. l run the
lodging house in connection with the
bar, and it is always full and contains
thi ty-three dodgers. l have frequent
" called in an officer to help me to
expel drunk and noisy men. L once
or twice handed men that had consid-
erable money with them over to the
safe-keeping of an officer or to Con-
stable Arguello. | tell the noisy ones
three or four times to be quiet, and If
they do not obey | fire them bodily out.
try to keep an orderly house. The
ne;ghbors have never complained to
me about the noise. l offered re-
ward for the return OF the watch that
was taken from man in the saloon.
AT the time it occurred l was over
powered and could not protect him.
Chief Darcy told me at the time that
If did not keep an orderly house L
would lose my license. don't think
any of the officers are prejudlced
against me.
Constable A Arguello testified: L
spend deal of time on Also street.
King generally calls me in when there
is row going on. l haoe seen klng
put drunken men out, and think he
triest keep an orderly house. He
has often called me in: l make a
great many arrests around there, as
number of hard characters are always
about.
George Zobelein testified: There is
a pretty rough crowd around there,
but they behave pretty well. visit
there once or twice a week.